We've been using front-end rebuild kits from Just Suspension for years, so when we saw their Rear Burnout Kit the name alone piqued our interest. Did it work? This picture should speak for itself.
One of the basic steps in upgrading and refurbishing your old Mopar is to rebuild your front suspension. We all know that new front bushings are pretty well mandatory when it comes to the performance and safety of your thirty-some-year-old car, but how much attention ever gets paid to the rear suspension? A sagging rearend is a clear indication that your leaf springs need to be changed, and if your car leans in the corners enough to scrape the chrome off the door handles, you would definitely benefit from new rear suspension components. Chances are if your car is more than 15 years old, and you haven't upgraded with new parts, your rear springs and bushings are pretty well worn out and are probably contributing to your poor ride, handling, and braking, just as much as worn front suspension components would. The good news is that replacing rear suspension components is easy and quick. Just Suspension has a complete rear suspension kit that comes with quality, heavy-duty replacement parts, and includes all the hardware and bushings to perform the job correctly.
Unless you've been in a coma, in solitary confinement, or on sabbatical for the last twenty years, we're sure you've heard of Just Suspension. When it was time to upgrade the rear suspension on our '68 GTX clone, we decided their complete Rear Burnout Kit offered all the pieces we needed to perform the job. I don't know if it's because we are a bunch of burnouts or because we really like doing burnouts, but their advertising worked on us. We've been using Just Suspension's front suspension rebuild kits on our cars for years and think they have some of the best suspension parts on the market, so we were expecting a lot in terms of quality, fit, and function, when it came to their rear suspension kit.
When our kit arrived we weren't disappointed. The Rear Burnout Kit included new heavy-duty leaf springs, shackles, and U-bolts, as well as polyurethane bushings and an adjustable pinion snubber. Since our car originally came with a 318 and the rather soft suspension that was standard with that motor, we decided an upgrade to big-block GTX springs would be in our best interest. Our car had already been equipped with a mildly worked 440 and was definitely overpowering our rear springs, which several dragstrip attempts had proven. Hard acceleration launches provided wheelhop, tire smoke, and enough rear suspension travel to give us motion sickness. When ordering our kit we told the representative our goals, and were advised that our new parts were in stock and would be shipped the same day.
When replacing rear suspension components, especially those that haven't been changed in some 37 years, expect a fight. A heavy-duty impact wrench, breaker bar, and pipe or jack handle for more leverage will usually aid in freeing stuck bolts and nuts, but some may have to be cut before the job is complete. We began the job by spraying penetrating oil on all the hardware holding our suspension to the car two days prior to attempting to change the parts. Another good soaking on the day of the job helped us break everything loose with the exception of one U-bolt. A die-grinder and cut-off wheel took care of that. We were fortunate and had a lift at our disposal, but a good floor jack and jackstands are adequate to complete the job. Whether you use a lift or flat-back it on the driveway, changing the components on one side of the car at a time will keep the rearend somewhat aligned in the car, making the job easier. Even though we took the extra time to clean and repaint the parts we would reuse, we found it easy to complete the job in about four hours.
The results of this upgrade were nothing less than amazing. Not only did the car's stance improve, there was a noticeable improvement in acceleration and far less body roll when cornering. Ride quality also improved and was quite comfortable, though noticeably stiffer. The new polygraphite bushings seemed to absorb driveline and road vibrations, and the car was quieter with fewer rattles. The adjustable pinion snubber combined with our new leaf springs also planted more power to the pavement, dramatically improving the car's 60-foot times at the track. Needless to say, we were impressed with our results. Not bad for a half-day's work!
